Phase shift keying wireless communication apparatus and method

Abstract

A baseband processor including an analog to digital converter configured to convert a baseband signal from an analog format into a corresponding digital format, wherein the baseband signal comprises a data packet having i) a preamble portion, ii) a header portion, and iii) a payload portion, wherein the payload portion of the data packet is in accordance with either i) a first format or ii) a second format. The baseband processor further includes a first demodulation pathway configured to recover i) the preamble portion of the data packet, ii) the header portion of the data packet, and iii) the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the first format; and a second demodulation pathway configured to recover the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the second format.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A baseband processor comprising:
 an analog to digital converter configured to convert a baseband signal from an analog format into a corresponding digital format, wherein the baseband signal comprises a data packet having i) a preamble portion, ii) a header portion, and iii) a payload portion, wherein the payload portion of the data packet is in accordance with either i) a first format or ii) a second format, and wherein the second format is associated with a higher data rate than the first format; 
 a parallel demodulation pathway configured to receive the baseband signal in the corresponding digital format, wherein the parallel demodulation pathway includes
 a first demodulation pathway configured to recover
 i) the preamble portion of the data packet, 
 ii) the header portion of the data packet, and 
 iii) the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the first format; and 
 
 a second demodulation pathway configured to recover the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the second format. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The baseband processor of  claim 1 , wherein the data packet is compliant with IEEE Standard 802.11b. 
     
     
       3. The baseband processor of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a data rate of the first format corresponds to 11 Mbps; and 
 a data rate of the second format corresponds to 22 Mbps. 
 
     
     
       4. The baseband processor of  claim 1 , further comprising a demodulator configured to demodulate the payload portion of the data packet in the first format or the second format. 
     
     
       5. A transceiver comprising the baseband processor of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. A network interface apparatus comprising the transceiver of  claim 5 . 
     
     
       7. The network interface apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the network transceiver apparatus comprises a PC card or a network interface card. 
     
     
       8. An information processing apparatus comprising the network interface apparatus of  claim 7 . 
     
     
       9. The information processing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the information processing apparatus comprises a laptop computer or a desktop computer. 
     
     
       10. A method comprising:
 converting a baseband signal from an analog format into a corresponding digital format, wherein the baseband signal comprises a data packet having i) a preamble portion, ii) a header portion, and iii) a payload portion, wherein the payload portion of the data packet is in accordance with either i) a first format or ii) a second format, and wherein the second format is associated with a higher data rate than the first format; and 
 recovering, in a first demodulation pathway,
 i) the preamble portion of the data packet, 
 ii) the header portion of the data packet, and 
 iii) the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the first format; and 
 
 recovering, in a second demodulation pathway, the payload portion of the data packet in response to the payload portion of the data packet being of the second format. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first demodulation pathway is separate from the second demodulation pathway. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the data packet is compliant with IEEE Standard 802.11b. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a data rate of the first format corresponds to 11 Mbps; and 
 a data rate of the second format corresponds to 22 Mbps. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising demodulating the payload portion of the data packet in the first format or the second format.